CHAPTER XII 



THE DESTRUCTION OF WEEDS 



The Nature of Weeds. The Bible provides that 

 man shall eat bread in the sweat of his face. This is 

 especially true of the farmer's life. His is a continual 

 battle against the enemies of his crops. He must work 

 hard, early and late, to combat the ravages of insect 

 pests and plant diseases, but harder still to eradicate 

 the weeds. 



Any plant growing where the farmer does not want 

 it might be considered a weed. Why are weeds ob- 

 jectionable? In the first place, they rob other plants 

 of their food. Suppose you go every morning to feed 

 the chickens and as soon as you throw down the grain 

 for them a great flock of pigeons from a neighboring 

 farm should swoop down and pick up half of it before 

 the chickens could get it, would you not say to that 

 neighbor, "If you don't take care of those pigeons 

 I shall"? 



Work of Weeds. Weeds rob -the other plants of 

 their food just as truly and just as effectually as the 

 pigeons rob the chickens in the illustration given above. 

 If weeds are allowed to grow in a field the crop is 



